Loyola Luck: How senior Beck Rettenmaier was recruited as a Division 1 commit at the University of Loyola Chicago

It was a typical winter game for senior soccer player Beck Rettenmaier — cloudy gray skies, stinging cold gusts of wind and numbed fingers and toes — playing with his club team, Kansas City Scott Gallagher. Throwing on tights and a long sleeve shirt to combat the February cold, Beck had one goal in mind: find a way to win.

Unbeknownst to him, a college recruiter sitting in the crowd was there watching one of his teammates play. But Beck got the attention of the recruiter after he scored two goals, leading his team to victory. Those goals made Beck stand out — eventually getting him a D1 offer from the University of Loyola Chicago.

“They weren’t even supposed to see me,” Beck said. “It just goes to show that there’s a lot of luck that goes into recruiting sometimes. I was just at the right place at the right time.”

But Beck has dreamed of playing D1 soccer ever since he was in fourth grade. Doing homework on the road to a tournament and missing outings with his friends due to Saturday games were just some of the sacrifices Beck would make.

“He’d be asked to guest play for other teams and we would always think maybe that’s too much soccer,” Beck’s mother Debra Rettenmaier said. “[But] he always wanted to do more and play.”

Beck believes his drive and dedication from a young age, and his love for soccer led to him being noticed by Loyola. Prior to him being recruited by Loyola, Beck had been to showcases in places like Florida, California and Illinois. He’d reach out to college coaches but very few attended his games due to the high demand of other high school soccer players.

“For a big school like Loyola Chicago to [send recruiters] down in Kansas was a really cool opportunity and chance for me,” Beck said. “The feeling of getting that text from them after was just a huge weight lifted off my shoulders.”

Beck also attributes much of his success to Head Coach of KC Scott Gallagher, which he has played with since 2017. Beck believes the team has helped with not only increasing his skills as a player but also was a crucial part in him getting his name out into the college world.

“He’s had back and foot injuries but he’s someone who’s always had a good attitude regardless of what the situation was,” Gallagher said. “For him, everything has always been about how can he help the team win and be a leader, and during that process is where his exposure came from.”

Now that Beck is committed, his main focus has been on the East soccer team’s season. He’s the only player on the team that has played on varsity all four years, making him a captain and the most experienced of his teammates. 

Due to this title, Beck along with his fellow senior captains, Conor Neusel and Wesley Cribb, have been looking to lead the younger players who may be nervous about playing. They coach them through drills while also holding them accountable when they make mistakes. 

“I’m more of the quiet captain out of the three,” Beck said. ”Usually I don’t lead by shouting at people. I’m more someone who leads by example and not trying to be someone I’m not.”

The main goal for Beck and the team as a whole this year is to win the first state championship for East in school history. After their loss to Mill Valley in the semifinals last year, Beck has used that to fuel his drive to win the championship this year.

“We’ll mess around during water breaks at practice but then immediately lock back in, ” Beck said. “I think that’s good because I don’t want to be too over-the-top and hard on people because it could make them burn out.”

Coming in as a freshman at Loyola, Beck is looking to incorporate himself in the starting eleven man roster. He hopes to do this by taking it day by day and not worrying about what the future may hold.

“I just want to enjoy and take in everyday from when I’m first dropped off on campus cause it’s a big jump from Leawood to Chicago,” Beck said.